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Impostor Syndrome and Leadership: The Secret Fear No One Talks About

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A recent special edition of The Economist explored Impostor Syndrome, confirming what many of us already experience firsthand: this quiet struggle is deeply embedded in today’s workplace. Not that I needed external validation. I see it regularly…
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Practical Tips & Advice

Career Transitioning

Too Young at 30, Too Old at 45: Welcome to Workplace Ageism

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An article recently published in Les Echos — the French economic newspaper of record — commented on a new survey about age discrimination at work. According to Eurostat, the average working life spans 36 years. Yet many companies still believe…
Read more
LIKE A ROLLING STONE - Alexandra Humbel CoachingMark Seliger - The Guardian

Still Relevant After 60 Years: The Rolling Stones Reinvention Playbook

,
Back in 1972, Mick Jagger famously declared: “When I’m 33, I’ll quit – I don’t want to be a rock star all my life. I couldn’t bear to be like Elvis Presley and sing in Las Vegas with all those housewives and old ladies coming…
Read more
6-effective-strategies-to-save-you-time-in-your-career-transitionAlexandra Humbel

How to Navigate a Career Transition: 6 Smart Strategies Backed by Experience

There are moments in a career when something shifts. Sometimes it’s external — restructuring, market evolution, unexpected redundancy. Sometimes it’s internal — a growing restlessness, a loss of meaning, the quiet awareness that you’ve…
Read more

Too Young at 30, Too Old at 45: Welcome to Workplace Ageism

, ,
An article recently published in Les Echos — the French economic newspaper of record — commented on a new survey about age discrimination at work. According to Eurostat, the average working life spans 36 years. Yet many companies still believe…
Read more
LIKE A ROLLING STONE - Alexandra Humbel CoachingMark Seliger - The Guardian

Still Relevant After 60 Years: The Rolling Stones Reinvention Playbook

,
Back in 1972, Mick Jagger famously declared: “When I’m 33, I’ll quit – I don’t want to be a rock star all my life. I couldn’t bear to be like Elvis Presley and sing in Las Vegas with all those housewives and old ladies coming…
Read more
6-effective-strategies-to-save-you-time-in-your-career-transitionAlexandra Humbel

How to Navigate a Career Transition: 6 Smart Strategies Backed by Experience

There are moments in a career when something shifts. Sometimes it’s external — restructuring, market evolution, unexpected redundancy. Sometimes it’s internal — a growing restlessness, a loss of meaning, the quiet awareness that you’ve…
Read more

Trending Topics

from-hobby-to-career-a-sailing-passion-that-sets-sail-on-new-horizons

Career Reinvention After 40: When Passion Becomes Your Profession

,
There comes a moment in life when we pause and ask ourselves a daring question: Could my passion become my profession? In this testimonial, Benoit shares his journey from seasoned media executive to professional skipper — a bold career…
Read more

Designing Your Second Act: 5 Long-Term Priorities for a Fulfilling Life and Career After 50

,
In a previous blog post, I interviewed Ed Kushins, a serial entrepreneur, founder of the number one home swap company, and someone I consider both a mentor and a friend. As he shared his journey—rich with bold moves, failures,…
Read more
from-hobby-to-career-a-sailing-passion-that-sets-sail-on-new-horizons

Career Reinvention After 40: When Passion Becomes Your Profession

,
There comes a moment in life when we pause and ask ourselves a daring question: Could my passion become my profession? In this testimonial, Benoit shares his journey from seasoned media executive to professional skipper — a bold career…
Read more

Designing Your Second Act: 5 Long-Term Priorities for a Fulfilling Life and Career After 50

,
In a previous blog post, I interviewed Ed Kushins, a serial entrepreneur, founder of the number one home swap company, and someone I consider both a mentor and a friend. As he shared his journey—rich with bold moves, failures,…
Read more

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Personal Development

When Job Titles Define You: Overcoming Status Anxiety in Career Change

Are you feeling apprehensive because you’re afraid to lose your social status as you transition to a new career? You might be. And that fear can quietly paralyze you. The anticipated loss of recognition, prestige, or influence can feel…
Read more
will-you-need-extensive-training-for-a-successful-career-transition

Career Reinvention and Continuous Learning: Why Motivation Matters More Than Age

,
One of the most persistent myths about career change is this: you need years of retraining before you can even consider it. Not necessarily. One of my clients moved from being a CEO in the media industry to becoming a professional skipper,…
Read more
why-its-never-too-late-to-embark-on-a-career-change-alexandra-humbel-origetAlexandra Humbel

Facing the Retirement Cliff? Why Career Reinvention After 50 Is the New Normal

,
Aging is still wrapped in quiet taboos and stubborn myths. The moment you officially enter the “senior” category, the narrative seems written for you: prepare for retirement. Step aside. Wind down. But what if that is not what you want? What…
Read more
Unleashing the Renaissance: Thriving as a Multi-Talented Professional - Alexandra Humbel CoachingAlexandra Humbel Coaching

The Rise of the Renaissance Career: Why Multi-Skilled Professionals Have the Advantage

,
If you excel in more than one discipline, you may not be scattered. You may be a Renaissance professional. In my coaching practice, I have the privilege of working with highly talented individuals who possess expertise in diverse domains.…
Read more
Breaking Free from Boreout: Empowering Your Career with Coaching - Alexandra Humbel CoachingAlexandra Humbel Coaching

From Career Stagnation to Growth: Practical Steps to Overcome Boreout

,
Burnout Gets the Headlines. Boreout Drains You in Silence. In the world of work, burnout and boreout are two very different traps. Burnout is loud. It comes with stress, overload, and visible exhaustion. Boreout is quieter, but no less destructive.…
Read more

Recovering from Burnout? Here’s How to Design Your Next Career Chapter

,
Congratulations on your recovery from burnout. The fact that you are eager to move forward is already a powerful sign of resilience. As you step into this new chapter, approach it with both gentleness and determination. Just as a runner patiently…
Read more
Soldier to Leader

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: A Career Lesson from the Fashion World

, ,
In this picture, it’s me—arms crossed, wearing a beret—unknowingly photographed at the exit of the Fall/Winter 1995 fashion show in Bryant Park, New York. The next day, I was flying back to Paris. Imagine my surprise when colleagues…
Read more
Alexandra Humbel standing in front of a painting by Franck Stella at NSU in Fort Lauderdale, FloridaAlexandra Humbel Coaching

The End of a Career Is Not the End of You: How to Rebuild With Intention

,
Do you feel a sense of loss when you realize your days are numbered in your current job, position, or career? Is that feeling strangely mixed with anticipation and even excitement? Soon there will be no more back-to-back meetings, no more emails…
Read more

When Experience Becomes a Liability: Rethinking Career Strategy After 50

As debates over extending the retirement age continue worldwide, a stark reality remains: senior unemployment has become a structural issue. Previous attempts to address it have fallen short. An entire generation now finds itself caught between…
Read more
7 Tell-Tale Signs You Need a Career Transition - By Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel Coaching

When “Good Enough” Isn’t Enough: 7 Signs You Need a Career Reset

You may be surprised to hear that most of my clients don’t feel the urge to change careers because they hate what they’re doing. Work is good. Pay is good. The position is generally satisfying. From the outside, everything looks enviable.…
Read more

How to Know If It’s Too Late for a Career Change (Hint: It’s Not About Age)

When one of my clients shared this humorous graph with me, I laughed. Then I paused. And I kept thinking. Is there really an age limit for changing careers? According to the unwritten corporate rulebook, the answer seems to be yes. The…
Read more

Self-Confidence Is Overrated: What Truly Drives Bold Career Move

In the space of personal growth — especially when it relates to women — the expression self-confidence is omnipresent. Or rather, the lack of it. The need for more of it. The pursuit of it. The Self-Confidence Paradox And yet, many of…
Read more

The Quiet Crisis of Successful Professionals—and the Opportunity Inside It

“In the first half of life, ambitious strivers embrace a simple formula for success in work and life: focus single-mindedly, work tirelessly, sacrifice personally, and climb the ladder relentlessly. It works. Until it doesn’t.” — Arthur…
Read more
Valery Guyot-Sionnest who embraced a bold change of career to become a Funeral PlannerValery Guyot-Sionnest

Women Reinventing Careers: A Bold Move From Luxury to Legacy Work

Valery Guyot-Sionnest had a successful and envied career in the world of luxury, from cosmetics to fashion to hospitality, as a Communications Director for leading groups such as Estée Lauder and Barrière. Today, she reinvents an industry…
Read more

The Mental Trap That Keeps You in a Job You’ve Outgrown

,
If you are unhappy at work, you may be considering a major decision — changing jobs, moving into a new industry, or even reinventing your career altogether. Yet this possibility often comes with fear and hesitation. You may catch yourself…
Read more
The Big Picture - Alexandra Humbel at the Wynwood Walls in MiamiAlexandra Humbel

Why Updating Your “Big Picture” Can Change the Way You Work and Live

The Wynwood Walls, in Miami’s iconic street art district, never fail to move me. I love the feeling of being dwarfed by these monumental murals, overwhelmed by their power and scale. During my latest visit, a simple question surfaced and stayed…
Read more
Alexandra Humbel - Career Transition CoachAlexandra Humbel

Behind the Scenes at Thierry Mugler: Leadership Lessons From the Fashion World

In the picture, this was me around 2000, fully immersed in a corporate career in the fashion industry that I thought I would never leave. The recent passing of the immensely talented Thierry Mugler brought me back to that time, when I served…
Read more
Benoit Runel Success Story - Alexandra Humbel CoachingAlexandra Humbel

A Second Act at Sea: How One Executive Chose Purpose Over Security After 50

When I talked to Benoit, I was counting on a video conference to make our conversation more lively. Given the limited reception, I had to content myself with a phone call. But this is a call I will never forget. Thinking about it, I can still…
Read more

If You’re Considering a Career Change, Read This First

If you’re standing at the edge of a career change, you're likely feeling a mix of excitement and quiet fear. Something in you knows it’s time — and yet everything familiar is pulling you back. Career transitions rarely fail because…
Read more

Career Transition After 40: 5 Things I Wish I Had Known Earlier

My mentor suggested that I write a post about the things I wish I had known earlier about career transition. I liked the idea and, based on my personal journey as well as my experience as a coach, I started with five essential points aimed at…
Read more

3 Reasons why your Career Transition is Stalling (And How to Get Back on Tracks)

Congratulations — you’ve decided to take charge of your future. You have the experience, the skills, and the desire to move toward a new professional chapter. So why does everything suddenly feel harder than expected? Why are you feeling…
Read more

Reinventing Your Career After 50: What Most People Get Wrong

,
Have you been repeatedly inspired by the stories of friends, colleagues, or people you follow online who changed careers in their fifties and started something entirely different? Have you wondered, even for a moment, how exciting it would be…
Read more
Ed Kushins

Reinventing Work After 50: A Conversation About Purpose, Freedom, and Longevity

Meet an inspiring ground-breaker and achiever, a leader who is changing the culture around age, work, and living a purposeful second act of life. Ed Kushins is an ex-US Navy submarine officer, entrepreneur, startup investor, social innovator,…
Read more
Embracing the Mid-Life Riser: Redefining Success in the Second Act of Your Career - Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel

Beyond the Retirement Cliff: Reimagining Work After 50

Studies show that, long before our 50th birthday, we want to work differently. If conditions are met, we are happy to work longer, even beyond the official retirement age.  For most of us, the retirement cliff does not work anymore. The Retirement…
Read more
COVID-19: 7 Things to Re-Discover While in Home Confinement - Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel Coaching

COVID-19: 7 Things to Rediscover While in Home Confinement

While are all gradually assigned to stay at home, due to containment measures, experiences differ considerably according to our personal situations. For those who have no kids at home, the sound of silence can be vastly disturbing, and loneliness…
Read more

When Job Titles Define You: Overcoming Status Anxiety in Career Change

Are you feeling apprehensive because you’re afraid to lose your social status as you transition to a new career? You might be. And that fear can quietly paralyze you. The anticipated loss of recognition, prestige, or influence can feel…
Read more
will-you-need-extensive-training-for-a-successful-career-transition

Career Reinvention and Continuous Learning: Why Motivation Matters More Than Age

,
One of the most persistent myths about career change is this: you need years of retraining before you can even consider it. Not necessarily. One of my clients moved from being a CEO in the media industry to becoming a professional skipper,…
Read more
why-its-never-too-late-to-embark-on-a-career-change-alexandra-humbel-origetAlexandra Humbel

Facing the Retirement Cliff? Why Career Reinvention After 50 Is the New Normal

,
Aging is still wrapped in quiet taboos and stubborn myths. The moment you officially enter the “senior” category, the narrative seems written for you: prepare for retirement. Step aside. Wind down. But what if that is not what you want? What…
Read more
Unleashing the Renaissance: Thriving as a Multi-Talented Professional - Alexandra Humbel CoachingAlexandra Humbel Coaching

The Rise of the Renaissance Career: Why Multi-Skilled Professionals Have the Advantage

,
If you excel in more than one discipline, you may not be scattered. You may be a Renaissance professional. In my coaching practice, I have the privilege of working with highly talented individuals who possess expertise in diverse domains.…
Read more
Breaking Free from Boreout: Empowering Your Career with Coaching - Alexandra Humbel CoachingAlexandra Humbel Coaching

From Career Stagnation to Growth: Practical Steps to Overcome Boreout

,
Burnout Gets the Headlines. Boreout Drains You in Silence. In the world of work, burnout and boreout are two very different traps. Burnout is loud. It comes with stress, overload, and visible exhaustion. Boreout is quieter, but no less destructive.…
Read more

Recovering from Burnout? Here’s How to Design Your Next Career Chapter

,
Congratulations on your recovery from burnout. The fact that you are eager to move forward is already a powerful sign of resilience. As you step into this new chapter, approach it with both gentleness and determination. Just as a runner patiently…
Read more
Soldier to Leader

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: A Career Lesson from the Fashion World

, ,
In this picture, it’s me—arms crossed, wearing a beret—unknowingly photographed at the exit of the Fall/Winter 1995 fashion show in Bryant Park, New York. The next day, I was flying back to Paris. Imagine my surprise when colleagues…
Read more
Alexandra Humbel standing in front of a painting by Franck Stella at NSU in Fort Lauderdale, FloridaAlexandra Humbel Coaching

The End of a Career Is Not the End of You: How to Rebuild With Intention

,
Do you feel a sense of loss when you realize your days are numbered in your current job, position, or career? Is that feeling strangely mixed with anticipation and even excitement? Soon there will be no more back-to-back meetings, no more emails…
Read more

When Experience Becomes a Liability: Rethinking Career Strategy After 50

As debates over extending the retirement age continue worldwide, a stark reality remains: senior unemployment has become a structural issue. Previous attempts to address it have fallen short. An entire generation now finds itself caught between…
Read more
7 Tell-Tale Signs You Need a Career Transition - By Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel Coaching

When “Good Enough” Isn’t Enough: 7 Signs You Need a Career Reset

You may be surprised to hear that most of my clients don’t feel the urge to change careers because they hate what they’re doing. Work is good. Pay is good. The position is generally satisfying. From the outside, everything looks enviable.…
Read more

How to Know If It’s Too Late for a Career Change (Hint: It’s Not About Age)

When one of my clients shared this humorous graph with me, I laughed. Then I paused. And I kept thinking. Is there really an age limit for changing careers? According to the unwritten corporate rulebook, the answer seems to be yes. The…
Read more

Self-Confidence Is Overrated: What Truly Drives Bold Career Move

In the space of personal growth — especially when it relates to women — the expression self-confidence is omnipresent. Or rather, the lack of it. The need for more of it. The pursuit of it. The Self-Confidence Paradox And yet, many of…
Read more

The Quiet Crisis of Successful Professionals—and the Opportunity Inside It

“In the first half of life, ambitious strivers embrace a simple formula for success in work and life: focus single-mindedly, work tirelessly, sacrifice personally, and climb the ladder relentlessly. It works. Until it doesn’t.” — Arthur…
Read more
Valery Guyot-Sionnest who embraced a bold change of career to become a Funeral PlannerValery Guyot-Sionnest

Women Reinventing Careers: A Bold Move From Luxury to Legacy Work

Valery Guyot-Sionnest had a successful and envied career in the world of luxury, from cosmetics to fashion to hospitality, as a Communications Director for leading groups such as Estée Lauder and Barrière. Today, she reinvents an industry…
Read more

The Mental Trap That Keeps You in a Job You’ve Outgrown

,
If you are unhappy at work, you may be considering a major decision — changing jobs, moving into a new industry, or even reinventing your career altogether. Yet this possibility often comes with fear and hesitation. You may catch yourself…
Read more
The Big Picture - Alexandra Humbel at the Wynwood Walls in MiamiAlexandra Humbel

Why Updating Your “Big Picture” Can Change the Way You Work and Live

The Wynwood Walls, in Miami’s iconic street art district, never fail to move me. I love the feeling of being dwarfed by these monumental murals, overwhelmed by their power and scale. During my latest visit, a simple question surfaced and stayed…
Read more
Alexandra Humbel - Career Transition CoachAlexandra Humbel

Behind the Scenes at Thierry Mugler: Leadership Lessons From the Fashion World

In the picture, this was me around 2000, fully immersed in a corporate career in the fashion industry that I thought I would never leave. The recent passing of the immensely talented Thierry Mugler brought me back to that time, when I served…
Read more
Benoit Runel Success Story - Alexandra Humbel CoachingAlexandra Humbel

A Second Act at Sea: How One Executive Chose Purpose Over Security After 50

When I talked to Benoit, I was counting on a video conference to make our conversation more lively. Given the limited reception, I had to content myself with a phone call. But this is a call I will never forget. Thinking about it, I can still…
Read more

If You’re Considering a Career Change, Read This First

If you’re standing at the edge of a career change, you're likely feeling a mix of excitement and quiet fear. Something in you knows it’s time — and yet everything familiar is pulling you back. Career transitions rarely fail because…
Read more

Career Transition After 40: 5 Things I Wish I Had Known Earlier

My mentor suggested that I write a post about the things I wish I had known earlier about career transition. I liked the idea and, based on my personal journey as well as my experience as a coach, I started with five essential points aimed at…
Read more

3 Reasons why your Career Transition is Stalling (And How to Get Back on Tracks)

Congratulations — you’ve decided to take charge of your future. You have the experience, the skills, and the desire to move toward a new professional chapter. So why does everything suddenly feel harder than expected? Why are you feeling…
Read more

Reinventing Your Career After 50: What Most People Get Wrong

,
Have you been repeatedly inspired by the stories of friends, colleagues, or people you follow online who changed careers in their fifties and started something entirely different? Have you wondered, even for a moment, how exciting it would be…
Read more
Ed Kushins

Reinventing Work After 50: A Conversation About Purpose, Freedom, and Longevity

Meet an inspiring ground-breaker and achiever, a leader who is changing the culture around age, work, and living a purposeful second act of life. Ed Kushins is an ex-US Navy submarine officer, entrepreneur, startup investor, social innovator,…
Read more
Embracing the Mid-Life Riser: Redefining Success in the Second Act of Your Career - Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel

Beyond the Retirement Cliff: Reimagining Work After 50

Studies show that, long before our 50th birthday, we want to work differently. If conditions are met, we are happy to work longer, even beyond the official retirement age.  For most of us, the retirement cliff does not work anymore. The Retirement…
Read more
COVID-19: 7 Things to Re-Discover While in Home Confinement - Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel Coaching

COVID-19: 7 Things to Rediscover While in Home Confinement

While are all gradually assigned to stay at home, due to containment measures, experiences differ considerably according to our personal situations. For those who have no kids at home, the sound of silence can be vastly disturbing, and loneliness…
Read more

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